Combined nut fastener and grounding member



Dec. 9, 1947. G. A. TINNERMAN l 2,432,492

COMBINED NUT FASTENER AND GROUNDING MMBR' original Filed May 9, 1942 A lIn' INVENToR.

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Patented Dec,l 9, 1947 COMBIED NUT FASTENER AND GROUNDING MEMBER GeorgeA. Tinnerman, Cleveland, Ohio, assigner to Tinnerman Products, Inc.,Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application May 9, 1942,Serial No. 442,335. Divided and this application November 14, 1942,Serial No. 465,557

\ 1 Claim. (Cl. 174-540) This invention relates to a fastening deviceand grounding member adapted to embrace a conduit or pipe and be readilyattachable to a support to position the conduit. One of the objects ofthe invention is to provide such a fastening device and grounding memberwhich may be cheaply constructed and attached in a very quick and simplemanner, merely by the application of a screw passing through thesupport, the fastening device itself forming a nut for the screw andavoiding the necessity of a wrench.

The present application, which is a divi-sion of my copendingapplication No.'442,335, tiled May 9, 1942, which has matured to PatentNo. 2,382,678 dated August 14, 1945, for a fastening device, relatesparticularly `to an embracing clamp having a yielding cushion on theinner face thereof and having a metallic connection with the conduit,causing the latter to be electrically grounded through the support,notwithstanding the insulating character of the cushion. To that end thefastening device is provided with an arcuate metallic arm whichunderlies the cushion and contacts with the conduit.

The present invention is more fully described in connection withpreferred embodiment-s thereof illustrated in the drawings. Variousadvantageous features of the invention will be apparent from suchdescription.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectional View of one form of my cushionedclamp in its normal condition ready for application; Fig. 2 is aperspective of this embodiment applied to a suitable support embracing aconduit indicated in broken lines; Fig. 3 is a perspective of the screwengaging clip with integral arcuate tongue employed in the embodiment ofFig. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section vof another form of conduitclamp embodying my invention; Fig. 5 is a cross section in the planeindicated by the line 5-5 in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view ofstill another form Aof conduit clamp embodying my invention; Fig. 7 is aperspective of the fastening clip employed in the construction of Fig.6.

In each of the embodiments, IIl indicates a strap or band, preferably 0fmetal, looped on itself into arcuate form for something over half acomplete circumference and terminating in `two extreme arm-s, one ofwhich, designated II,

preferably leads tangentially from the curved portion of the strap, andthe other ofwhich, designated I2, diverges abruptly from the strap, atapproximately right angles to the adjacent portion thereof. Roundopenings I3 and I 4 are formed in these two arms, through which the 2fastening screw may pass, as hereinafter described.

On the inner face of the loop I0 is a cushion 20 which may be aflattened tube of rubber orinsulating material enveloping the loop, theouter layer of this tube being designated 2I in the drawings.

When the arms II and I2 are brought together, or almost together, a,substantially cylindrical space is confined by the strap and thus thestrap when applied may snugly embrace a conduit or pipe with a cushionedeffect/This is illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein A indicates/ the conduit;B a suitable support in the form of an angle bar or bracket, and C thefastening screw.

In each embodiment, I apply to the abrupt arm I2 of the clamp a separatefastening clip which embraces the arm and has thread-engaging means tocoact with the thread of the attaching screw.

In the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the-separate clip designated 30,comprises a strip of metal doubled on itself to produce two spacedportions 3| and 32 adapted to embrace` the arm I2, and there is anarcuate extension 33 of the lower portion adapted to lie against theinner face of the yielding layer 20 and thus contact with the metallicconduit to conduct static electricity away from the conduit.

As above pointed out, the clip in this'embodiment has three integralconnected portions, namely, the top member 3|, the bottom member 32, andthe arcuate arm 33. The top member 3| has an opening 35 and parallelslits 36 to provide two tongues 31 bent up at an oblique angle,

and warped, as in Fig. 1. This top member 3| by its bent over endcontinues as the parallel bottom member 32. This bottom member has anopening 38 with an upturned flange having an inclined top 39 on itsouter margin. At its inner edge the bottom member continues as thearcuate portion 33, which is preferably narrow I and extends forsomething less than a semicircumference. formed about that half of thehole 38 which is on the side toward the bend. This gives an abruptshoulder adjacent the bend with an inoline gradually leading to theshoulder.

When the parts in Fig. 1 are being assembled, the abrupt arm I2 of theclamp is shoved into the opening between the two layers 3I and 32 of theclip in a direction toward the bend. This enables the extreme end of theclamp arm to slide up on the inclined top of the lug 39, spring overthat top, the lug thus entering the hole I4 of the The upstanding flange39 is '-v clamp arm, thereby retaining the clip on the clamp, with thearcuate arm 33 of the clip lying snugly against the inner layer 20 ofthe yielding covering.

When the conduit is embraced by the clamp, as shown in Fig. 2, theretaining screw C is passed through the support and the opening I3 ofthe tangential arm II; thence through the opening 38 of the clip; thencethe opening I4 of the clamp and finally receiving its nut by theinclined struts 31. When so applied the arcuate tongue 33 contactstightly with the surface of the conduit and thus serves to ground thesame to the frame carrying the support. At the same time, the clampingaction is cushioned by the yielding layer 20.

In Figs. 4 and 5, a modified form of automatically grounding fasteningdevice is shown. Here the arcuate metallic member is separate from theclip but is retained by the clip against the clamping member. In thisembodiment, the clamping member itself is the same as in Fig. l, havingthe loop I with the abrupt arm I2 having the opening I4, and there arethe same inner and outer elastic layers 2D and 2|. The grounding membercomprises an arcuate strip 40 having a flat arm 4I adapted to lie snuglyagainst the under face of the arm I2 and provided at its end with aturned over portion 42 so that it may engage the upper face of the armI2. The iiat portion 4I has an opening 44 at least as great as theopening I4 with which it registers.

The clip 50 in this embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5 has a top plate-likeportion 5I with an opening between two raised oblique tongues 53; hasbent-over edges or side portions 55; and has two bottom portions 56 eachwith an upturned lip 51 wtih an inclined top. When such clip is shovedinto place over the end of the arm I2, against which the grounding stripis mounted, the inclined lips 51 slide under the grounding strip andspring back into place through the opening 44 of that strip into theopening I4 of the arm I2, as shown particularly in Fig. 5.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate still another embodiment of a grounded clamphaving a clip applied thereto. In this embodiment the looping portion 60of the clamp has a specially formed abrupt arm 62 provided not only withthe hole 64 but with a depending flange 65 about the hole which is outaway on an incline on the underside. The incline is greatest in theregion of the flange nearest the arcuate arm, merging with the bottomplane of the flat arm 62 adjacent the point of the hole 64 farthest fromthe arcuate arm.

The arcuate arm carries the inner and outer layers 2U and 2| of yieldingmaterial similar to the forms of Figs. 1 and 4. The grounding arm is thesame as that of Fig. 4, comprising the arcuate portion 40 lying againstthe inner member layer 20 and the ilat arm 4I and the bentover endportion 42 which comes onto the top of the clamp arm B2.

The retaining clip of the embodiment of Figs. 6 and 7 is somewhatdifferent from that shown in either of the other figures. It comprisesthe top plate 10, the bottom plate 1I integrally connected by abent-over end 12. The bottom plate has a round hole 14 through it. Thetop plate is formed with a hexagonal hole and a pair of parallel slitsproducing two tongues 15 with V- shaped ends, which were bent upobliquely and oppositely warped, as in various other embodiments. Thefree end of the top plate of this clip is bent iirst downwardly and thenupwardly to produce a beaded edge adapted to have a. spring engagementwith the clamp arm.

In the assembled parts shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the grounding strip isrst hooked over the end of the clamp arm 62 and brought tightly againstthe inner face of the clamp so that the arcuate lug 65 extends throughthe opening of the grounding strip and beyond it. Then the clip isshoved lengthwise of itself over the end of the clamp arm and groundingstrip. In this operation, the lower arm 1I of the clip is cammeddownwardly by the incline 65 and then springs up into place beyond it,snugly engaging the under face of the arm 4l of the grounding member. Atthe same time the bead extension 11 on the end of the upper arm of theclip bears down snugly on the upper face of the clamp arm 62. The partsare thus rmly retained in mutual position.

It will be seen that in all the different embodiments in my invention Ihave provided a loop adapted to embrace a conduit or pipe with acushioning effect, the loop having two projecting arms with openingsthrough them and I have mounted on one of these arms a screw retainer inthe form of a clip embracing the arm and retained in place byinter-engaging shoulders on the clip and arm. In each case, one face ofthis clip is formed with an opening for the passage of the screw and theother face with a pair of opposed inclined warped tongues having V-shaped notches such distance apart as to snugly engage in the threadwith a screw passed through the openings in the arms. The inter-engagingshoulders mentioned are provided by an opening in the clamp arm or inthe clip and a flange with an inclined face on the other member, so thatthe clip may be slid onto the clamp arm and when located will springinto place, the inclined flange of one of the members occupying the holeof the other. The loop is thus provided with a retaining device whichprovides for the passage of the fastening screwv and provides obliquespring tongues acting as the nut for that screw. The application of theclip holds the arcuate grounding arm snugly against the cushioninglayer, whether the arcuate arm is integral with the clip or clamped inplace by it.

It will be 'understood from the description given that the clip of thisinvention may be very quickly mounted on the clamp arm, and is readilyadapted for use on present manufactures of cushioning loops. When theloop is equipped with the clip and grounding arm of this invention, itprovides for the clamping and grounding of the conduit with the maximumspeed. Separate nuts and wrenches are avoided, the only too1 necessarybeing a screwdriver. Moreover, the spring action of the clip tongueslocks the screw effectively in place so that no nut lock is necessary.

Reference is made to my copending application No. 476,219, filedFebruary 17, 1943 (which is a division of my previously mentioned parentapplication No. 442,335) for claims on the fastening clip per seillustrated herein in Figs. 4 and 5.

Application No. 476,219 has become Patent No. 2,336,319 dated December7, 1943.

I claim:

In an electrical clamp for securing an element to be grounded, saidclamp comprising a metal band in the form of a loop having a cushioninglayer on the inner surface thereof and free ends having openings adaptedto be aligned for receiving a bolt or screw to secure the clamp, aonepiece combined nut fastener and grounding member comprising a sheetmetal body having a return bent end defining outer and inner portionsembracing a free end of the clamp and attached thereto and provided withopenings in registration with the opening in said free end of the clamp,bolt 'or screw thread engaging means carried by said outer portion, andan integral bonding extension carried by said inner portion extending inunderlying relation to saidcushioning layer on the clamp for engagingthe element to be grounded.

GEORGE A. TINNERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,101,287 Tinnerman Dec. 7, 19372,279,866 Ellinwood Apr. 14, 1942 2,298,560 Harrison Oct. 13, 19422,397,253 Ellinwood Mar. 26, 1946 OTHER REFERENCES Engineering Data andSpecifications, of Bendix Thermo-Welded Cushion-Clamps and Army-NavyTube Clamps, book No. 297 issued by Bendix Aviation, Ltd., NorthHollywood, California; pages IV-lA and IV-2A, both dated Dec. 10, 1941,and received in Div. 65 U. S. Patent Oce May 20, 1942.

